What must you do when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights, state by state?
Every state’s answer, and the District of Columbia’s, from its own manual or code: 43 have a rule on this, quoted below with where it is written; 8 say nothing on it.
Statutes fetched on 8 October 2026; manuals fetched between 6 September and 4 October 2026. How the answers are made
| State | The rule | Where it is written | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | When approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights, or a wrecker with flashing amber lights, on a road with four or more lanes, you must vacate the lane closest to it. | Alabama Driver Manual, p.68 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Alaska | On a four-lane road, when you encounter stationary emergency vehicles or tow trucks with overhead flashing lights, pull to the lane opposite them if it is safe. | Alaska Driver Manual, p.76 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arizona | Under the Move Over Law, if it is not safe or possible to move over, you must slow down and use caution. | Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.39 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| California | When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with flashing emergency signal lights, move over and slow down. | California Driver’s Handbook, p.45 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Colorado | Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, slow to 25 mph if the posted speed limit is 45 mph or less. | Colorado Driver Handbook, p.11 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Delaware | When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights, Delaware requires you to proceed with caution and yield by changing lanes away from it when possible. | Delaware Driver Manual, p.82 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Hawaii | In Hawaii, when you approach a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights, slow down or stop as needed and, if possible and safe, move over so an empty lane separates you from it. | State of Hawaii Driver’s Manual, p.29 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Idaho | When approaching a stopped emergency or police vehicle with lights flashing, or a tow truck or incident response vehicle, you must immediately reduce your speed below the posted limit and proceed with caution. | July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.95 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Illinois | A driver approaching a stationary emergency or maintenance vehicle showing oscillating, rotating or flashing lights must yield, change to a lane away from the workers where possible, reduce speed and proceed with caution. | Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.25 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Indiana | When approaching an emergency vehicle with flashing red, red and white, or red and blue lights, change lanes away from it; if you cannot, slow to 10 mph under the posted limit and proceed with caution. | Indiana Driver's Manual, p.51 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Iowa | Iowa's Move Over or Slow Down Law requires you to change lanes when you approach certain stopped vehicles showing flashing lights. | Iowa Driver's License Manual, p.22 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kansas | When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle using flashing warning lights on a Kansas street with two or more lanes in each direction, a driver proceeds with due caution and moves to a lane that is not next to the stopped vehicle. | Kansas Driving Handbook, p.18 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kentucky | A Kentucky driver approaching an authorized emergency vehicle stopped on the roadside proceeds with caution by slowing and changing into a lane not next to it, if safety and traffic conditions permit. | Kentucky Driver Manual, p.66 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Louisiana | On a highway with 2 or more lanes in the same direction, yield to a parked emergency vehicle by changing into a lane not next to it, if safe. | Class D & E Driver's Guide, p.121 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Maine | Under Maine's move-over law, when you come upon an emergency vehicle stopped on the roadside, you must slow, yield, and if possible move over to the next lane. | Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.110 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | You must move over when approaching any vehicle stopped, standing or parked on a road with its lights flashing. If moving over is not safe or possible, you must slow to a safe speed. | Maryland Driver's Manual, p.45 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its lights flashing, you must proceed with caution and reduce your speed to one that is reasonable and safe. | Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.104 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Michigan | When you see a stopped emergency vehicle, the law requires you to slow down at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and move over a lane if traffic and conditions allow. | What Every Driver Must Know, p.28 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Minnesota | When an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder with its lights flashing, move a lane away if you safely can. | Minnesota Driver’s Manual, p.76 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Mississippi | If an emergency vehicle with lights or siren on is parked along a four-lane highway, merge into the lane away from it if it is safe to do so. | Mississippi Driver's License Manual, p.67 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | Approaching a stationary emergency vehicle showing red or red and blue lights, you must change into a lane not next to it if the road has at least four lanes with two or more running your way and it is safe to do so. | Missouri Driver Guide, p.23 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Montana | In the lane next to a stationary emergency or police vehicle with signals on, slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit. | Montana Driver Manual, p.80 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nebraska | On a multi-lane controlled-access highway, a driver approaching a stopped emergency or other listed vehicle with flashing lights must move at least one travel lane away from it. | Nebraska Driver’s Manual, p.51 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nevada | When approaching a stopped emergency, utility or service vehicle, drive in a lane not next to it if possible, unless conditions make that unsafe or impossible. | Nevada Driver Handbook, p.61 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Hampshire | A driver approaching a highway emergency must maintain a reduced speed and, if practical, give a wide berth to public safety personnel, persons in the roadway and vehicles displaying warning lights. | New Hampshire Driver's Manual, p.40 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Mexico | B. Upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle or a recovery or repair vehicle displaying flashing emergency or hazard lights, unless otherwise directed, the driver of a vehicle shall: (1) if reasonably safe to do so, drive in a lane not adjacent to the stationary vehicle, decrease the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances and proceed with caution; or (2) if it is not reasonably safe to drive in a lane not adjacent to the stationary vehicle, decrease the speed of the vehicle to a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, proceed with caution and be prepared to stop. | New Mexico law, NMSA 1978, § 66-7-332(B) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| New York | Drivers must reduce speed when they encounter a stopped emergency or hazard vehicle, and on parkways, interstates and other controlled access roads with multiple lanes they must also move out of the lane next to it unless traffic or other hazards prevent doing so safely. | New York State Driver's Manual, p.35 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Carolina | When approaching an emergency or public service vehicle parked within 12 feet of the roadway with its warning lights on, on a highway with two or more lanes in your direction you must move into a lane that is not the lane nearest it and stay there until safely past. | North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.49 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Dakota | If an emergency vehicle, law enforcement vehicle or NDDOT maintenance vehicle is parked on the Interstate or a multi-lane highway with its emergency or work lights flashing, move over to the opposite lane and proceed with due caution. | North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.20 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Ohio | Approaching an authorized vehicle stopped at the roadside, a driver slows and changes into a lane not next to it where that is safe, and otherwise slows and passes with caution at a safe speed. | Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws, p.44 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Under Oklahoma's Move Over Law, when you approach a stationary vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of the road, you must move over a lane if it is safe, or slow down and use caution. | Oklahoma Driver Manual, p.30 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oregon | On a road with two or more lanes in your direction, approaching any motor vehicle stopped with lights flashing, you must change lanes so you do not drive next to it, or slow by at least 5 mph under the posted speed limit, allowing as much room as safely possible. | 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.57 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | (a) Emergency response areas.--When approaching or passing an emergency response area, a person, unless otherwise directed by an emergency service responder, shall: (1) pass in a lane not adjacent to that of the emergency response area, if possible; or (2) if passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible, illegal or unsafe, pass the emergency response area at a speed of no more than 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit and reasonable for safely passing the emergency response area. | Pennsylvania law, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3327(a) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Rhode Island | (1) Move the vehicle into a lane that is not the lane nearest the parked or standing authorized highway maintenance equipment displaying flashing lights (while performing maintenance operations), tow truck, transporter trucks, roadside assistance vehicles, emergency vehicle, or nonemergency vehicle and continue traveling in that lane until safely clear of the authorized highway maintenance equipment displaying flashing lights (while performing maintenance operations), tow truck, transporter trucks, roadside assistance vehicles, emergency vehicle, or nonemergency vehicle. This paragraph applies only if the roadway has at least two (2) lanes for traffic proceeding in the direction of the approaching vehicle and if the approaching vehicle may change lanes safely and without interfering with any vehicular traffic; or | Rhode Island law, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(b)(1) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| South Carolina | When approaching a stopped authorized emergency vehicle, slow down and change into a lane away from it if safe and traffic allows. | South Carolina Driver's Manual, p.124 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota requires every driver approaching a stopped emergency vehicle showing red lights, from any direction, to come to a complete stop before reaching it. | South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.2 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Tennessee | When safe, move over into a lane that is not next to the stopped emergency vehicle; this applies whether it is on the right or left side of the road. | Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.72 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Texas | Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on, a driver must vacate the lane closest to it where the highway has two or more lanes in that direction. | Texas Driver Handbook, p.23 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Vermont | Approaching a law enforcement, emergency or repair vehicle with a flashing light at the side of the road, you must proceed with caution and change lanes away from it as soon as it is safe. If you cannot change lanes you must slow to 20 mph below the speed limit. | 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.51 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Virginia | When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle or tow truck with its lights flashing, change to a lane away from it if you reasonably can; if you cannot, slow down and pass with care. | Virginia Driver's Manual, p.16 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Washington | Seeing a roadside response vehicle with flashing lights, a driver must either move into a farther lane, or slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit. | Washington State Driver Guide, p.143 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights, a driver moves into the lane not nearest it and stays there until past. | Wisconsin Motorists' Handbook, p.51 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Wyoming | On a highway with two or more lanes, when you approach a parked emergency vehicle with lights flashing, you must merge into the lane farthest from it, unless a police officer directs otherwise. | Wyoming Rules of the Road Driver License Manual, p.49 | 14 Sep 2026 |
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No rule found
No rule found in the manual or code of: Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Utah, West Virginia.
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